Cosmotrons is Getting a Brand New Look

We’ve talked about Cosmotrons on several occasions. The game that started as a fan project in 2016 with little more than a Facebook page and a two man team of hard-working veteran gamers quickly grew to become the phenomenon it is today. Cosmotrons took all the best parts of Gravitar and Asteroids, both of which were huge deals back in the ‘80’s, and were among the titles responsible for catapulting Atari to fame in years past. Cosmotrons has been available for purchase for some time now. However, Arcadeaholics, the company in charge of the product, revealed a new Cosmotrons cabinet this last weekend in the Pinball Expo 2018 event in Chicago. Once orders are available, this new version will be ideal for those on a tighter budget.

Like many other games of its time, both Asteroids and Gravitar were deceptively simple titles. Their mechanics were easy to understand and control, while still retaining a very high skill ceiling. In this sense, while everyone could play and enjoy the games, regardless of skill level, the most hardcore fans could also partake and square down against each other in heated space battles.

Gravitar was released in 1982 by Atari and was known for its unrelenting difficulty and tough, yet fair gameplay mechanics. The gravity mechanic, in particular, was very interesting for the time as it completely changed the strategy that the player would need to use to continue advancing through the game’s four universes. Asteroids, on the other hand, was released in 1979 and was much more straightforward in both concept and mechanics.

Nevertheless, both games shared many similarities, including the setting and control scheme. Specifically, both games used a 5-button control scheme, of which three of those buttons were used for rotating left, right, and thrusting. The other two buttons were used for specific purposes in their respective game. Moreover, both titles featured similar momentum-based movement where the ships didn’t stop immediately once the thrusters were disengaged. Instead, they would continue to drift forward, and players would have to keep this momentum in mind when performing hairpin turns or other accurate maneuvers.

Cosmotrons took the best of both games and enriched it with its additions. The result was an arcade game that looked like Asteroids and Gravitar, but that was so much more than the sum of its parts.

The folks at Arcadeaholics spiced up the formula by adding a ton of different features such as multiple game modes, as well as multiplayer capabilities to provide hours of fun and infinite replayability. In this game, up to four players can choose from a roster of 7 ships each with their pros and cons, and wage war against each other in several different stages. An excerpt from their Facebook pages says the following:

“In multiplayer mode, two, three, or four Cosmotron pilots battle in teams or solo in intense aerial dogfights.  There also is a “Be the Boss” mode where one player gets to take an over powered ship and battles against up to three of their friends at the same time.  In single-player mode space pilots can explore territories, practice flight and shooting skills, and participate in timed speed runs.

“There are 20+ dangerous territories for you to explore and battle in including lunar surfaces, underground alien structures, active volcanic hot spots, caverns with falling stalactites, and more.  Gravity is just as dangerous as your enemies as it always tries to pull you towards impending doom, on some terrains not always in the same direction. Skillful piloting is necessary to survive.

“Your spaceship requires fuel.  Either defeat all your enemies in a territory before your fuel depletes or find and collect fuel resources throughout the territories during battle.  But be careful, collecting fuel resources is dangerous and often leaves you vulnerable!“

A New and Improved Look

Cosmotrons began shipping out early this year with their Delux-O-Tron cabinets. While impressive, this large cabinet was just over the budgets of many locations and collectors. The new model, however, is a bit smaller and follows a design reminiscent of traditional upright arcade cabinets. It is also cheaper, coming in at an MSRP of $4995 (plus applicable fees like freight). Similar to the original model, the reworked version also comes equipped with a 40” 4K display, which allows it to produce stunningly-gorgeous vector graphics, with some of the smoothest animations in the market. Furthermore, it also comes with a 10” subwoofer to produce some crisp and booming beeps and boops, just like we like it.

For reference, here is a picture of the original Delux-O-Tron cabinet:

And here is a photo of the new model:

The software is unchanged from the original version so that you would receive the same game with your purchase. However, you can opt to install several optional features to your cabinet, such as built-in cupholders, as well as a spectator display, which would be attached to the top of the cabinet itself.

Despite having a smaller size, Lead Designer Shane Gutbrod states that the new cabinet is still very comfortable for 4-player sessions. Furthermore, the compact size means that those with the money, but without space in their game rooms, might now have a chance to order their cabinet and add it to their collections.

Here at PrimeTime Amusements, we like to keep ahead of the curve in arcade game rental and sales and pride ourselves in providing the best service in the country. If you’re looking for a game in particular, or have a few questions about the industry, feel free to give us a call at 1.800.550.0090 or to swing by at 5300 Powerline Rd. Suite 210, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, 33309.